Gdynia doubles up and Warsaw gains new IRONMAN 70.3
Despite the ongoing problems of 2020, the IRONMAN Group are pushing forward with their expansion plans in Europe for 2021. Following recent news of the return of IRONMAN Mallorca and the addition of IRONMAN 70.3 Ireland, Poland will see two new option on the IRONMAN European Tour next year.
THE IRONMAN GROUP ADDS
TWO NEW EVENTS IN POLAND FOR 2021
RONMAN Gdynia joins existing Enea IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia as the country’s first full distance event on August 8, 2021. Warsaw becomes third European capital to host an IRONMAN event in 2021 with the new IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw on June 6.
The signs of high-flying ambitions turned heads right from the beginning: The 2015 Enea IRONMAN® 70.3® Gdynia triathlon in Poland started with a bang – not from the starter’s gun, but with an IRONMAN-branded airliner making a flyover of the swim course mere seconds before athletes set off for the race’s original edition.
Now, five years after its spectacular appearance on the international triathlon stage, Poland will host two more events by The IRONMAN Group in 2021: IRONMAN Gdynia on August 8, 2021 and IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw on June 6, 2021. They join the existing Enea IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia and the 5150 Triathlon Series™ event in Warsaw for a total of four races in 2021.
IRONMAN Gdynia and IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia will both be held on August 8, 2021. IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw and 5150 Triathlon Series Warsaw will both be held on June 6, 2021.
“Our team in Poland has made a name for itself through operational excellence and delivering a race experience that has drawn athletes from all across Europe. Their efforts and qualities are best showcased by the fact that they just delivered a very successful IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia event under strict safety precautions,” said Stefan Petschnig, Managing Director IRONMAN Europe, Middle East and Africa.
“Gdynia was the natural choice to host a full distance IRONMAN event in Poland. There is simply no better place,” said race director Michał Drelich. “Some of the world’s best triathletes such as Daniela Ryf, Mirinda Carfrae, Jan Frodeno and Patrick Lange have raced here. Even more importantly age-group athletes from all over the world have come to appreciate the atmosphere that the city and community of Gdynia provide to them. With an IRONMAN and an IRONMAN 70.3 race on the same weekend we are looking forward to a unique triathlon festival celebration.”
Participants of the inaugural IRONMAN Gdynia will face a 3,8km (2.4-mile) swim in the usually calm waters of Gdansk Bay, followed by a challenging 180km (112-mile) bike course that leads through green forests, summer fields and over the demanding rolling hills of Kashubia back to Gdynia. The 42,2km (26-mile) run course uses the wide main streets of the city center and the seaside boulevards before finishing right on the sandy beach in the most popular part of the city.
“Gdynia loves triathlon,” said Wojciech Szczurek, mayor of Gdynia. “Six years ago, we announced the first ever IRONMAN 70.3 event in our country. Today, we can only say that was a very good decision. In 2021, we are joining the elite circle of IRONMAN host cities with multiple events. I am truly honored, and I do believe this is another giant step forward not only for the event itself but also for the development of this beautiful sport in Poland,” he added.
New IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw
Warsaw will also make Polish IRONMAN history by adding the new IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw on June 6, 2021. It is the third European capital city to host an IRONMAN event in 2021, Copenhagen (Denmark) and Tallinn (Estonia) being the others.
Both IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw and 5150 Triathlon Series Warsaw will start at Lake Zegrzynski, a popular weekend leisure destination in the suburbs of Warsaw. A flat and fast bike course will take athletes to transition zone 2 in the city center, showcasing some of the Polish capital’s most famous landmarks, including the Warsaw Citadel, the Old Town, the Royal Castle and the National Stadium.
The run course in the heart of the city will enable participants to see the Old Town and other sightseeing spots like the Grand Theater, National Opera, Pilsudskiego Square, Krakowskie Przedmieście, Karowa Street and Arkady Kubickiego. The finish line will be located in the Multimedia Fountain Park.
”5150 Triathlon Series Warsaw has already been held four times and attracted almost six thousand athletes. The people and the community of Warsaw have proved that sport is in our blood. In recent years, our city has seen numerous mass-participation sport events with large numbers of Warsaw inhabitants taking part. To us, adding IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw was just a matter of time. I am glad our inhabitants will have a new opportunity to challenge themselves,” said Renata Kaznowska, Deputy Mayor of Warsaw.
General registration for IRONMAN Gdynia, Enea IRONMAN 70.3 Gdynia, IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw and 5150 Triathlon Series Warsaw will open on December 2.
The 2021 IRONMAN Gdynia will offer 30 age-group qualifying slots to the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i. IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw will offer 40 age-group qualifying slots to the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission on September 17 & 18, 2021 in St. George, Utah, USA.
For more information please visit, www.ironman.com/im-gdynia and www.ironman.com/im703-warsaw. Please direct inquiries to gdynia@ironman.com and warsaw70.3@ironman.com.
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.
